Dyson V6 Cord Free Vacuum Review

Is a small stick vacuum that only runs for 20 minutes worth a few hundred dollars?

It depends…on you. If you’re not immediately discouraged by the price tag, then consider the following:

• Are you looking for a vacuum that can handle tough messes, ready when you are, light, maneuverable, and easy to clean?
• Capable of vacuuming from floor to ceiling?
• Designed so that you don’t have to untangle cord and switch outlets, then wrap up the cord and then store it back in the closet. All of that only for a few spots of vacuuming?
• Looking for a 2-in-1 that can handle carpet better than most other 2-in-1’s?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you’re on the right track. The suction strength of the Dyson V6 is the best you’ll find in a 2-in-1 stick vacuum. If you primarily will be vacuuming carpet, the Dyson V6 Cord Free is ideal as far as 2-in-1’s go.

It has all the features you would want in a 2-in-1, except for a mini motorized brush tool for the handheld. If that’s important to you, consider the Dyson V6 Motorhead, Animal, and V8 Absolute. A mini motorized brush is useful for cleaning couches, furniture, other upholstery, and stairs. This Dyson V6 model handles stairs fine as it’s light enough just to pick up and move along the stairs.

A stand-out feature of the Dyson V6 and V8 2-in-1 series is the trigger control. Unlike most vacuums you press a button, and the vacuum stays on until you press it again. Instead, Dyson made a trigger that you pull and hold as long as you want the vacuum to run. Some consider this a hassle, but the idea is to squeeze as much cleaning time out of the battery as possible. You will only be powering the vacuum exactly when you want it to be cleaning.

When you only have 20 minutes of power, the time spent transitioning from one area to another eats up valuable battery life. The trigger feature aligns with the intended use of a 2-in-1 vacuum, which is for brief spot or small area cleaning.

Three main pieces make up the vacuum: the handheld, pipe, and motorized cleaner head. You can easily detach the handheld for spot cleaning and add attachments for crevices or dusting. If you need to do above floor cleaning, just remove the motorized head with the press of a button. It’s seamless to go from vacuuming carpet to sucking the dust off a ceiling fan since you don’t need to grab an attachment, just simply detach the cleaning head. This added simplicity is unique to the Dyson form factor.

Reasons not to buy this vacuum?

• If it’s the only vacuum you will own.
• You plan on cleaning over 1500 square feet with a 2-in-1 stick vacuum.
• You have thick carpet.

Suction

Cheerios, dog food, pet hair…this vacuum can handle it, in moderation. You might say it sucks too well. The dustbin fills up quickly, so by the end of your 20 minutes vacuuming it will be ready to empty.

If you’ve used a cordless stick vacuum before then, you’ve experienced having to vacuum over the same spot again, and again, to get anything done. With this vacuum, don’t expect a deep clean, but you won’t have trouble getting even major pet hair or dirt up. You always have the max power setting as a backup.

The Dyson V6 works great in bursts of cleaning and isn’t meant to be the only vacuum you use unless you’re cleaning a small area.

Carpet Performance

The motorized brush roll works great on low-pile carpet. If you have thick carpet or rugs, you will likely just clog the motor, since there is no way to adjust the height of the brush roll. This vacuum is truly meant for low-pile carpet and bare floors.

This demo video shows an extreme case of pet hair and dust on low-pile carpet being cleaned up by the Dyson V6.

 

Bare Floor Performance

Even though the motorized brush roll can’t be turned off, this vacuum performs exceptionally well on bare floors. Debris does not get kicked around by the brush and gets pulled right up.

The bristles are soft nylon and do not scratch or damage hardwood floors.

This video shows the Dyson V6 being used to pick up a combination of large and dust size debris on bare floors. If you doubted the motorized brush, this should reassure you this vacuum can handle bare floors.

 

Above-floor Cleaning

Spending a day at the beach always ends with sand somewhere in the car. Ceiling fans and vents collect dust, and unless you have an extended reach tool, you’ll need a ladder or stool to clean them.

This is where the 2-in-1 feature comes into play, for getting to those places above the floor. Your corded vacuum may be able to get there, but it’s such a hassle.

Attachments

The Dyson V6 is effectively a handheld with two attachments that turn it into a stick vacuum: the vacuum tube and motorized cleaner head.

It does not come with a mini motorized tool for the handheld, but wait! All you have to do is remove the vacuum tube and simply attach the motorized cleaner head directly to the handheld. The motorized cleaner head may be larger than what you might want, but it’s great for stairs, couches, and car seats.

Aside from that, you get a combination tool for crevices and surfaces.

If you’re looking for some more options, you can buy a tool kit separately, which will fit any Dyson V6 or V8.

These are in the Dyson Handheld Tool Kit:

• Flexible Extension Hose
• Wide Nozzle Tool
• Stubborn Dirt Brush
• Soft Dusting Brush

Stairs

There are a handful of 2-in-1’s that do stairs well, and the Dyson V6 is one of them, probably the best.

It comes down to the motorized brush, especially if you have carpeted stairs. The width of the motorized cleaner head is so close to the typical width of stairs; it’s so easy to buzz right over the staircase. You may prefer the larger motorized cleaner head to the mini one only available with the other Dyson V6 models.

Check out this video of the handheld with the motorized brush attachment being used on carpeted stairs.

 

Battery & Runtime

• 20 minutes
• Lithium Ion Battery
• 3.5 Hour charge time
• Battery is user replaceable (but under warranty?)

If there is a sore spot with this vacuum, then the runtime is it. Even so, it’s about average for a 2-in-1, but also equally as important is the recharge time.

Three and a half hours is slightly better than average. It would be nice to get 30 to 40 minutes, but back to the purpose of this vacuum: spot cleaning.

A lot of 2-in-1’s have 5 to 9 hour charge times, which when you only get 15-20 minutes of use, is horrendous. Dyson hits a sweet spot of compromise with the V6 series.

If you’re willing to splurge, however, you can get 40 minutes of runtime with the Dyson V8 Absolute.

Battery Replacement: The battery is built into the unit, but it is possible to take the unit apart and remove it. This is best done by a certified technician to preserve your warranty, but if it’s over 2 years old, then there’s no harm in doing it yourself if you have the tools and know-how.

Dyson even has a video demonstrating how to remove the battery. This video is of the Dyson V6 Cord-free, and the process in similar for all of the Dyson 2-in-1’s.

 

Filtration

The Dyson V6 series has a cylindrical filter that pops right out of the top of the handheld. This vacuum possibly has the most accessible filter, since it doesn’t require you to remove the dustbin and go digging for it.

Allergy & Asthma Friendly Alternatives

Of the Dyson 2-in-1 vacuums, the V8 Absolute and the V6 Absolute are the only ones with HEPA filtration. The V8 Absolute is about twice the price of the V6 Cord-free, whereas the V6 Absolute is about $100 more. As a bonus, however, the V8 Absolute has twice the runtime(40 minutes).

These are some suggested vacuum cleaners that provide better filtration.